Caffeine's effects on body and brain development and function are a matter of debate. Our aim was to determine the impact of caffeine administration on body weight gain, anxiety-like behavior, and brain electrical activity (by means of the cortical spreading depression phenomenon, CSD) in rats.
Materials and Methods:
From postnatal day (PND) 7 to 27, male Wistar rats received, via gavage, caffeine (CAF; 15, 30, or 45 mg/kg/day) or vehicle; an additional group received no gavage (naive). Animals were tested in the elevated plus maze (EPM) and open field (OF) at PND 28–30. CSD recording occurred on PND 35.
Results:
CAF45 rats spent longer time per entry in the EPM-open arms, and OF-central area, compared with the naive and vehicle controls. CAF45 rats also displayed less rearing responses, in comparison with the naive controls. In the OF test, the CAF30 group also displayed a lower number of rearings. Body weight was lower, and CSD propagated faster (p < 0.05) in the CAF30 and CAF45 groups, compared with the naive, vehicle, and CAF15 groups. In another group of animals, topical cortical caffeine reversibly increased CSD velocity and amplitude and reduced CSD duration.
Conclusions:
We concluded that caffeine impaired body weight gain, exerted a light anxiolytic action, and accelerated CSD propagation. The data indicate a role for caffeine in behavior- and excitability-dependent functions in the immature brain, suggesting caution in the use of caffeine by lactating mothers and their progenies.
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